Tool for installing boiler handhole caps



l Dec 1924. 1,521,008

. S, B. CLAY TCOL .FOR INSTALLING BOILER HANDHOLE CAPS Filed Aug. 4, 1923 .als

iatented Een. 3Q, i924.

entre stare SAMUEL BRAINERD CLAY, OF ST. LOUIS, LTIISSUR, ASSIGN'OR T0 HEINE BOILER COM- PANY, 0F ST. LOUS, ISSOUBI, A CORPORATON 0F MISSOURI.

TOOL F01?Q INSTALLNG BGLER HANDOLE CAPS.

Application filed August e, 1923. Serial No. 655,673.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, SAMUEL B. CLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Tools for Installing Boiler Handhole Caps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same.

rThis invention relates to tools of the kind that are used for installing boiler hand hole closures of the type that consist of a hollow cap provided with a tapered portion that projects forwardly through a hand hole in a plate that forms the outer wall of a. water leg or water box. In installing a boiler hand hole cap of the kind referred to in the' water leg of a water tube boiler, the cap is inserted 'in the hand hole from the inside of the water leg and then pressed forwardly manually so as to cause the tapered portion of the cap to engage the edge of the hand hole tightly enough to temporarily hold the cap in position. A tool that is located on the outside of the water leg is then arranged in engagement with the cap by inserting a portion of the tool that is equipped with jaws into the opening of the cap and eX panding said jaws so as to cause them tov tightly grip the tapered portion of the cap. Thereafter, the jaw carrying portion of the tool is moved in a direction to draw the cap forwardly and cause the tapered portion of same to be j ambed into the hand hole tightly enough to produce a steam-andwater tight joint between the tapered portion of the cap and the edge of the hand hole in which the cap is arranged.

The main object of my invention is to provide a tool for installing boiler hand hole caps of the kind referred to, that is easy to operate and which is of such construction that the jaws of the tool can be inserted in the cap without liability of dislodging the cap from its temporary position- To this end l have devised a tool which comprises a portion equipped with radiallymovable jaws that are adapted to be inserted in a hand hole cap positioned in the water leg of a boiler, means for moving said jawcarrying portion in a direction to securely seat the cap in the water leg and produce a steam-and-water tight joint between the tapered portion of the cap and the part of the water leg in which the capl is arranged, and means for contracting the jaws preparatory to inserting the jaw-carrying portion in the cap so as to eliminate the-possibility of the jaws bearing against the cap and dislodging it from its temporary position during the operation of introducing the jaw-carrying portion of the tool into the cap.

While l have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a tool that is primarily adapted for use in installing tapered hand iole caps for boilers, the tool is capable of use for various other purposes, such, for example, as removing or withdrawing a substantially cup-shaped object from a member in which said object is seated.

Figure l of the drawings is a top plan view of my improved tool, showing it arranged in operative position in engagement with the water leg of a boiler, said figure being partly broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of the parts of the tool;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view'of the tool; and Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the tool, showing it arranged in operative position on a member in which a hand hole cap is being inserted.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates a substantially yoke-shaped member that is adapted to be arranged in engagement with the outer face of a boiler water leg or box provided with a hand hole in which a tapered hand hole cap y is temporarily positioned, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the member A comprising a cross piece l that extends parallel to the part a' of the boiler in which the'hand hole cap is positioned, and two right-angularly-disposed legs Qwhose inner ends are adapted to bear against said part as shown in Figure 3. Said yoke-shaped member A' supports an externally screw-threaded shaft B arranged at right angles to the cross piece l of said member and projecting through a hole 3 in said cross piece, and means is providedfor moving said shaft relatively to the member A so as to cause jaws C that are combined with the shaft B and which have been previously introduced into the cap y to exert pressure on said cap in a direction to seat it securely or jamh it tightly into the hand hole in the part of the boiler. Any

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suitable means can be used for moving the shaft B relatively to the yoke-shaped mem ber A either to introduce the jaw-carrying portion of the tool into the hand hole cap, or to move said jaw-carrying portion in the opposite direction to draw said cap into the hand hole, the means herein illustrated for this purpose consisting of a pawl and ratchet mechanism D arranged in front of the cross piece l of the yoke-shaped member A and provided Vwith an internallyscrew-threaded portion through which the externally-screw-threaded portion of the shaft B passes, and an operating handle e that can be oscillated so as to cause the shaft B to move inwardly to insert the jaws C of the tool in the cap or outwardly to seat the cap.

The jaw-carrying portion of the tool is composed of the jaws C, previouslyreferred to, and a tapered member E of substantially frusto-conicalshape surrounded by the jaws C and connected to the inner end of the shaft B7 the jaws C being of segmental shape in general outline and provided on their inner sides with tapered surfaces 5 which bear against the tapered portion of the member E5 thereby causing the jaws to be expanded when they move longitudinally of the member E towards its large end and to be contracted when they move longitudinally of the member E towards its small end. The jaws C are held in o `ierative relationship with the tapered member E by one or more resilient annular retaining devices 6 that surround said jaws and which are preferably arranged in grooves in the outer faces of the jaws7 as shown in Figure l, the retaining devices 6 herein .illustrated being formed from coiled springs.

Normally the jaws C are held expanded by pressure exerted against said jaws by a sleeve F that surrounds the inner end portion of the tapered member E and which is acted upon by a coiled expansion spring 7 arranged between the sleeve F and the cross piece 1 of the yoke-shaped member A, the endwise thrust which said sleeve F exerts on the jaws C causing shoulders 8 on the inner sides of the jaws to bear against an annular rib 9 on the tapered member as shown in Figure l. lf desired, the sleeve F can be provided with an annular recess l() that forms a seat for one end of the spring Z and laterally-projecting linger pieces ll that are used in the operation of moving the sleeve ll" longitudinally of the tapered member E, so as to compress the spring T, and thus permit the jaws C to contract by moving longitudinally of the member E toH wards the small end of same.

ln using my improved tool to seat a hollow hand hole cap having a tapered portion that projects forwardly through a hand hole in the part of a boiler', the

yoke-shaped member A of the tool is arranged in front of the cap so that the legs 2 of said yoke-shaped member will straddle the cap and be disposed oppositely to the front side of the part a3 of the boiler in which the cap is temporarily positioned. rlhe sleeve F of the tool is then moved longitudinally of the tapered member E so e to compress the spring 7 and permit the jaws C to contract by moving longitudinally of the member E towards its small end. @wing to the fact that the member E is tapered the jaws C will move inwardly radially towards the longitudinal axis of the member E, as they are traveling longitudinally towards the small end of said member5 this longitudinal movement of the jaws being effected by the co-operating inclined surfaces on the jaws and member E and by the pressure which the resilient retaining devices G exert on thejaws in a direction tending to collapse them or draw them together. The jaws (l of the tool will now be collapsed or contracted sutliciently so that when they are introduced into the cap by moving the shaft B longitudinally to wards the cap there is no liability of said jaws bearing against the cap and dislot ging it from its temporary position in the part of the boiler. T he next operation is to expand the jaws or force them radially into engagement with the tapered portion of the cap, which operation is effected by releasing the sleeve l? so as to permit the spring 7 to expand and cause the sleeve l? to exert pressure on the jaws in a direction tending to move them longitudinally of the tapered member towards the large end of said membern After the jaws of the tool have been arranged in engagement with the cap, the ratchet device D is operated so to move the shaft B forwardly7 thus causing the aws C to exert pressure on the cap y and draw it snugly into the hand hole in the part of the boiler.

l tool of the construction above described is easy to operate, and as the jaw-carrying portion of the tool is so constructed that the jaws will be; fully collapsed when the sleeve F is moved in a direction to compress its actuating spring7 there is no liability of knocking the cap out of position during the operation of inserting the j air-carrying porn tion of the tool in the cap, as often oecurred with prior tools of this general design, due to the fact that no means was provided for holding the jaws collapsed. ln addition to the desirable features above pointed out, my improved tool is strong and rugged enough to successfully withstand hard, continuous usage, and the jaws of the tool are combined with the tapered member E and the sleeve F in such a way that there is no liability of their dropping` out of position when the tool is not in use.

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Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by' Letters Patent, is

l. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a plurality of expansible jaws that are adapted to be inserted in a hollow element preparatory to moving said element endwise with relation to a part in which it is positioned, a tapered member which said jaws surround, `a spring-pressed member movable relatively to said tapered member and arranged so that it normally exerts pressure on said jaws in a direction tending tohold them expanded, said springpressed` member being adapted to be moved manually in a direction to permit the jaws to collapse, and means combined with said jaws for collapsing them automatically when said member is moved manually in the direction specified.

2. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a plurality of expansible jaws that are adapted to be inserted in a hollow element preparatory to moving said element endwise with relation to apart in which it is positioned, a tapered member which said jaws surround, a spring-pressed member arranged in engagement with said jaws for moving them longitudinally of said tapered member into their expanded position, said spring-pressed member being' adapted to be moved manually to relieve the pressure which it exerts on said jaws, and an independent resilient means that causes said jaws to automatically move longitudinally of said tapered member towards their collapsed position when the pressure which said spring-pressed member exerts on the jaws is relieved.

3. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a plurality of expansible jaws that are adapted to be inserted in a hollow element preparatory to moving said element endwise with relation to a part in which it is positioned, a tapered member which said jaws surround, a sleeve surrounding said tapered member and arranged in engagement with one end of said jaws, an expansion spring that acts on said sleeve and causes it to exert pressure on said jaws in a direction to expand the jaws, said sleeve being adapted to be moved manually to compress its actuating spring, and an annular resilient retaining device that surrounds said jaws and causes the jaws to move into their collapsed position when said sleeve is moved in a direction to compress its actuating spring.

il. A tool for the purpose described, comprising a plurality of expansible jaws that are adapted to be inserted in va hollow element preparatory to moving said element endwise with relation to a part in which it is positioned, a tapered member which said jaws surround, a sleeve surrounding said tapered member and provided with laterally-projecting linger pieces, an expansion spring that acts on said sleeve and causes it to exert pressure on saidljaws in a direction to expand the jaws, and an annular resilient retaining device surrounding the jaws and arranged inl grooves in the tapered faces of same.

5. A tool for installing boiler hand' hole caps, vconsisting of ay member that is adapted to be arranged in engagement with the part of the boiler that contains a hand hole in which the cap is positioned, a shaft that projects through said member, a tapered element connected with said shaft, expansible jaws surrounding said tapered element, a means that is adapted to be operated to cause said jaws to move longitudinally of said tapered element into their collapsed position preparatory to introducing said jaws into the hand hole cap, said means causing the jaws to expand after they have been introduced into the cap, and means for moving said shaft relatively to said member in a direction to seat the cap tightly in the part of the boiler which carries same.

6. A tool for installing boiler hand hole caps consisting of a member that is adapted to be arranged in engagement with the part of the boiler that contains a hand hole in which said cap is positioned, a shaft that projects through said member, means for moving said shaft endwise relatively to said member, a tapered element rigidly connected with said shaft, expansible jaws surrounding said tapered element, and a spring-pressed device that surrounds said tapered element and exerts pressure on said jaws in a direction tending to move them longitudinally of said tapered element into their expanded position, said spring-pressed device being adapted to be moved manually against the force of its actuating spring so as to permit said jaws to collapse.

7. A tool for installing boiler hand hole caps consisting of a member that is adapted to be arranged in engagement with the part of the boiler that contains a hand hole in which said cap is positioned, a shaft that projects through said member, means for moving said shaft endwise relatively to said member, a tapered element connected with said shaft, expansible jaws surrounding said tapered element, a spring-pressed device that surrounds said tapered element and exerts pressure on said jaws in a direction tending to expand them, said springpressed device being adapted to be moved in a direction to relieve the pressure which it exerts on said jaws, ,and means combined with said jaws for causing them to move longitudinally of said tapered element into their collapsed position when said springpressed device is moved to relieve the pressure on said jaws.

8. A tool for installing boiler hand hole caps, comprising a member that is adapted to be arranged in engagement with a part ot a boiler that contains a hand hole in which the cap is positioned, a shaft that projects through said member, means for moving said member relatively to said shaft, a tapered element connected with said shaft and being of substantially rusto-conical form, expansible jaws that surround said element, an annular' resilient retaining device surrounding said jaws and seated in grooves therein, a sleeve surrounding said element and arranged at the inner end of said jaws, a compression spring interposed between said sleeve and the member through which said shaft passes for exerting pressure on said jaws in a direction tending to expand them, and co-operating means on said jaws and on said tapered element for limiting the longitudinal movement of said jaws relatively to said tapered element.

9. A tool for installing boiler hand hole caps, comprising a yoke-shaped member whose legs are adapted to be arranged in engagement with a part of a boiler in ,i Y Lampes which a hand hole cap is temporarily positioned, an externally-screw-threaded shaft that projects through a hole in. the cross piece of said member, a pawl. and ratchet mechanism for moving said shaft relativeljY to said cross piece, a tapered member or' substantially frusto-conical form connected with said shaft and provided at its large end with an annular abutment, expansible jaws surrounding said tapered member and provided on their inner sides with shoulders that co-operate with said abutment to limit their longitudinal movement relatively to said tapered element in one direction, annular resilient retaining devices surrounding said jaws and arranged in grooves in the outer sides of same, a sleeve surrounding said tapered element and arranged in engagement with the inner ends of said jaws, laterally-projecting finger pieces on said sleeve, and a spring interposed between said sleeve and the cross piece of the member through which said shaft projects for eXerting pressure on said jaws tending to move them into their expanded position.

SAMUEL BRAINERD CLAY. 

